Project by: Foster Hudson (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: Ileana
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Peggy

Ileana and I have now finished our work on “The Waste Land,” though I’m sure both of us would agree that our work with this poem is never truly over. The scope of “The Waste Land,” both in content and in themes, is so broad that when we first started, in the third trimester of 10th grade, we were only able to make it through the first three sections. In that time, we discussed ideas of existential dread and crisis, the omnipresence of death, and the decay of modern society. We came across references to Greek mythology, Shakespeare, Dante, and a British resort T.S. Eliot sojourned to, where he spent time drafting “The Waste Land” and practicing the mandolin.

Additionally, we read an excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s essay “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” which discusses, among other things, T.S Eliot’s approach to writing poetry. When we reconvened in the second trimester of my junior year, we read the remaining two sections of the poem, which were as complex as those preceding it, if not more so. They provided thematic context for the previous three sections, as well as posing larger existential questions, specifically of existence in the face of decay, for us to mull over.

As we moved to the third trimester of junior year, we began developing a theory as to the meaning of “The Waste Land,” and for the past couple of weeks Ileana and I have been drafting an essay detailing this theory, as well as providing a summary of the work we did over the past year. In reading and analysing “The Waste Land” with Ileana, I learned much about both poetry and literary theory and critique, which enabled me to think of themes and ideas surrounding literature in a much more complex way than before. Though my honors project on “The Waste Land” may be completed, I have no doubts that the poem’s complexities will continue to be revealed to me as I inevitably return to it throughout my life.

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T3 Project Proposal

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

This is a continuation of the study Illeana and I did during the third trimester of my sophomore year and the second trimester of my junior year. Since the Waste Land is so dense and expansive, we still have parts of the last section to discuss. I would like to continue this project because I think it is important to study the last two parts in depth in order to get a complete picture of the poem.

Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?

Studying a poem as densely layered as T.S. Eliot’s the Waste Land requires lots of critical thinking. In order to fully understand the poem, one must not only understand the many literary and historical allusions throughout the poem, but also consider how these allusions play into the larger themes when coupled with the cryptic and esoteric imagery, as well as shifting speaker voices.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?

By the end, I’d like to have gained understanding of not only the major themes and ideas within the poem, of which there seem to be many, but as well the poetic techniques employed to communicate these ideas, and the historical and cultural significance of the poem and T.S. Eliot. To demonstrate my learning, I can prepare a small summary of what we discuss in our meetings

Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?

We are planning on meeting Monday mornings, and each morning discuss a small portion of each of the last part. At the end, I’d imagine we would consider the poem as a whole, after having read each part.

When do you plan on meeting?
Monday mornings at 8

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T2 Project Proposal

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

This is a continuation of the study Ileana and I did during the third trimester of my sophomore year and the second trimester of my junior year. Since the Waste Land is so dense and expansive, we only managed to get through the first three parts. I would like to continue this project because I think it is important to study the last two parts in order to get a complete picture of the poem

Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?

Studying a poem as densely layered as T.S. Eliot’s the Waste Land requires lots of critical thinking. In order to fully understand the poem, one must not only understand the many literary and historical allusions throughout the poem, but also consider how these allusions play into the larger themes when coupled with the cryptic and esoteric imagery, as well as shifting speaker voices.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?

By the end, I’d like to have gained understanding of not only the major themes and ideas within the poem, of which there seem to be many, but as well the poetic techniques employed to communicate these ideas, and the historical and cultural significance of the poem and T.S. Eliot. To demonstrate my learning, I can prepare a small summary of what we discuss in our meetings

Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?

We are planning on meeting Friday mornings, and each morning discuss a small portion of each of the remaining two parts. At the end, I’d imagine we would consider the poem as a whole, after having read each part. In Trimester Two, Ileana and I reviewed the first three parts of the poem, both read and listened to T.S. Eliot read the remaining two parts, and discussed the significance of Buddhist language and imagery in “The Fire Sermon” and “What the Thunder Said.”  We discussed at length the themes of existential dread and the presence of death and solitude within the poem, but we have only begun to unpack the many complexities of “The Water Land.”

When do you plan on meeting?
Monday mornings at 8